Portable cleansing device for artificial dentures



p 25, 1951 E. A. WILCOX 2,568,838

PORTABLE CLEANSING DEVICE FOR ARTIFICIAL DENTURES Filed Sept. 8, 1947 H I S ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 25.1951

I PORTABLE CLEANSING DEVICE FOR ARTIFICIAL DENTURES Ernest A. Wilcox, Flushing, N. Y.

Application September 8, 1947, Serial No. 772,689

7 Claims.

My invention pertains to improvements in portable cleansing device for artificial dentures.

The present invention is a modification of the denture cleansing-device forming the subjectmatter of my copending application Serial No; 732,187, filed March 4, 1947, Patent Number 2,565,988, patented August 28, 1951, and has for its object to provide a yieldably mounteddenture support for the container, whereby dentures of varying thicknesses may be automatically supported without making any mechanical adjustment in the support.

A further object of my invention is to' provide the bottom wall of the container with a propellerlike profile,- whereby during the manual shaking movement the solution will be given a swirling action in an upwardly direction against a held denture to more thoroughly cleanse the latter.

I accomplish the objects ofmy invention by means of certain novel constructions and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the claims, and illustratively exemplified in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a substantially longitudinal sectional view of my improved cleansing device;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the container with the cover removed to reveal the denture support and propeller-like bottom profile.

Figure 3is a perspective view of the denture support showing denture in dotted lines; and

Figure 4 is an elevational view of the cover, looking into the under face of the same to show the toothed spider portions.

Referring to the drawings in detail, l denotes a cylindrically shaped container having a slightly tapered lip l I at its upper open end, and a bottom wall l2 provided with a centrally raised section/l3 consisting of a plurality of radially disposed steps M, which form a propeller-like profile to the upper face of the section, and which in the manual operation of the device impart to a cleaning solution within the container an ter or axis of the section I3 is provided with an upstanding hub or post l5, about which the lower 2 I as illustrated in Figure 1. The loose fit of the denture support within the container permits of a tilting or canting of the supportwhen a supported denture is engaged by the denture holding means on the cover as hereinafter described.

The tapered lip II of the container l0 forms a seat for the beveled inner surface 22 of the skirt portion of a cover 23. The skirt portion is an annular depending band closed on top by an integral disc or plate 24, which on its inner surface is provided with a plurality of depending radial ribs or arms 25 similar in shape and contour to the arms l8 of the denture support H, i. e., the under surfaces of the ribs 25, are provided with teeth 26, as illustratively exemplified particularly in Figs. 1 and 4. The teeth I9 and 26 on the ribs [8 and 25,- respectively, which are adapted to engage the denture operate to prevent lateral movement of the denture relatively to the container.

To utilize the denture cleansing device a suitable quantity of a cleaning'solution is put into the container ii) and the denture A is placed or rested upon the support I! so as to bring the tips of the teeth l9 into contact with the under surfaces of the denture. The cover 23 is then applied, bringing the tapered surfaces I l and 22 into a liquid tight joint and the teeth 26 of ribs 25 into engagement with the upper surfaces of the denture A. As the cover 23 is pressed over the container and against the'denture, the latter and its support I! will be forced downwardly accompanied under certain conditions by a tilting or canting action and the spring [6 will collapse sufficiently to accommodate the adjustment of the support, but will still continue to exert upward pressure suflicient to firmly hold the denture immovable against the cover 23. With the denture A safety supported, the cleansing operation may be started by vigorously shaking the container until the swirling fluid has properly and completely cleaned the denture.

Having described my invention and the manner in which the same is made to function, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A cleansing device for artificial dentures, comprising a container, a cover therefore having depending toothed portions, an upright helical spring disposed axially of said container, and a denture support mounted on said spring and freely adjustable in said container, whereby a denture placed upon the support will be held firmly between the toothed cover portions and the support.

2. A cleansing device for artificial dentures comprising a container, a cover therefor having radial depending toothed arms on its inner face,

an upright helical spring disposed axially of and supported on the bottom of the container, and a denture support yieldably supported on said spring and comprising a peripheral band fitting loosely the interior of the container and having radial arms toothed on their upper surfaces and meeting in a hub at the center to receive the upper coil of said spring.

3. A cleansing device for artificial dentures, as claimedin claim 1, in which the container comprises a cylindrical shell having a closed bottom wall provided with a concentric raised central portion comprising a plurality of radial steps having a propeller-like contour and an upstanding center post to receive and support the lower coil of the supporting spring, substantially as described.

4. A cleansing device for artificial dentures comprising a container including a body portion and a removable cover, a pair of denture gripping members one within the container and the other within the cover, and resilient means urging one of said gripping members toward the other and permitting relative tilting thereof to hold a denmm. between them, said denture gripping members having rib members for engaging a denture and'for providing access, upon agitation, by liquid within the container to substantially allv portions of'said denture.

5; A :cleansing device for artificial dentures comprising a container including a body portion and aremovable cover,a pair of denture gripping members, one within the container and the other within the cover, and resilient means urging one ofsaid gripping members toward the other, at leastone of said denture gripping members having on its denture engaging surface means for preventing lateral movement of the denture when gripped, said denture gripping members being of open framework character to limit contact with a denture and provide ample space, both above and below a firmly held denture, between the surfaces of the denture and the inner surface of the cover and the base of the container, respectively, and provide access to said spaces for cleansing liquid within the container to freely pass over substantially the entire denture to effectively cleanse the same when the device is vigorously shakenl.

6. A cleansing device for artificial dentures comprising a container including a body portion and a removable cover, a pair of denture gripping members, one within the container and the other within the cover, and resilient means urging one of said gripping members toward the other, at least one of said denture gripping members being mounted to have limited tilting movement within the container whereby to hold a denture between said denture gripping members in slightly tilted relation, said denture gripping members being of open framework character to limit contact with a denture and provide ample space, both above and below a firmly held denture, between the surfaces of the denture and the inner surface of the cover and the base of the container, respectively, and provide access to said spaces for cleansing liquid within the container to freely pass. over substantially the entire denture to effectively cleanse the same when the device is vigorously shaken.

'7. A cleansing device for artificial dentures comprising in combination, a container with a closed bottom and an open top, a cover for the open top, a denture support spaced from the closed bottom of the container and movable therein toward and away from said cover, resilient means urging said support toward said cover to resiliently grip a denture between said support andsaid cover and hold said denture during manual agitation of the device when supplied with cleansing liquid whereby said denture will be cleansed, said resilient means providing for automatic accommodation of difierent thicknesses of dentures and a plurality of angularlydisposed protuberances formed interiorlyof the container and shaped to cause-aswirling action of the liquid when the device is manually agitated.

ERNEST A. WILCOX.

REFERENCES: oI'rED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Philippi Apr. 18, 1950 

